The Search for Banner
by Dapperpuppet
Summary: When Dr. Banner disappears, Tony Stark will stop at nothing to find his science companion. wow I am terrible at summaries. Just read it? title is subject to change, but whatever
1. Chapter 1

Bruce was the last to leave, despite the constant decline of Tony's nagging for him to live at Stark tower.

"I really have to go now. I'll see you around though." He lied terribly.

"At least let me give you a ride to the airport, or better yet, I can fly you to where you are going myself! What do you say?" He gave Bruce a gentle nudge with his elbow, which in return earned him a small smirk from his companion in science.

"I really don't think that's a good idea. Anyway, I'm fine. I don't want to trouble you with anything else, you've got that big successful business to run," his sarcasm was evident even though calm and controlled patterns in his voice. Everyone knew Tony Stark barely ran anything these days. But the way Bruce emphasized successful, seemed to take away from his joke. Bruce couldn't deny that Tony had accomplished everything he had only dreamed of, he should have been jealous, and maybe he was, but around this billionaire, he couldn't feel anything other than friendship. But Bruce had to leave, he was already starting to feel attached to him, and that attachment would only grow over time, and make it harder when he would be forced to leave.

Tony was pouting. He had been making the same face at Bruce for at least a minute, until he finally said something. "You know you are always welcome at Stark Tower." His eyes reflected off the sun's light so excessively that you couldn't see any of the iris. "But I do think you should let me give you a lift." He raised an eyebrow in contrast to his otherwise static features.

"Me being in the air isn't something I'm fond of. For obvious reasons. I'd rather not." He gave a sweet, somewhat apologetic look and shook Mr. Stark's hand. The word "Goodbye" was exchanged, and Bruce left.

Several hours later, Bruce had reached the edge of the city, putting enough distance between the two scientists. "Jarvis, put a tracking device with a quarter mile radius for visuals on Banner." Tony commanded.

"Already done, sir," The calm English voice of the AI butler assured.

"I knew I programmed those stalker like functions in you for a reason," He smirked a bit and poured himself a glass of whiskey. "Bottom's up!"

"Of course, sir," Jarvis replied to his previous statement. "I am, for all purposes, an excellent stalker," sarcasm in the slightly robotic voice was not rare.

"Well, what are you waiting for then? Bring up the visuals." A large screen appeared in front of him, swiftly. Bruce was on a ferry ride to god knows where, so Tony swiped the video away and left for his bedroom.

It was five AM by the time Tony Stark got his eyes to stay shut long enough for him to pass out. Unfortunately his sleep was cut short by Jarvis, who had been repeating some dumb message about unavailable cameras and disconnected data. Tony's eyes shot open and his body sat upright with a jolt. "Sir, the tracker on Dr. Banner is no longer available. We have lost connection with all data." was repeated in the full.

"What happened? Did he find it on himself and remove it?"

"The little evidence we have does not imply as such. We have recorded up until the point of its disqualification" A screen moved in front of the tired brown eyes. The video showed calm water, a rocking boat, and Bruce's butt for nearly a whole minute. But then a large crashing sound followed by gunfire and screams filled the audio. Then a green flash, and the video cut. Tony sat in silent horror for all of ten seconds before running to the iron man launch pad.

He flew as fast as he could manage. "Jarvis, give me the last known coordinates of Dr. Banner," a map appeared in front of him showing the location of where the ship had been supposedly destroyed. He arrived on site about fifteen minutes later to no trace of the ship or his friend whatsoever. There was however a smashed weapon off shore, a custom build with no name or company logo written on it. It was, however, made using technology that was very familiar to Tony. It was old Stark technology. But it wasn't made by the company, this had been a replica. "Jarvis, I need you to do a scan and find where you can still get these parts. The generic kind." the scan began immediately, but the process to find where the internal components had been manufactured took quite a bit longer.

Tony's initial freak out had subsided, this was Bruce Banner after all, if anything happened to him, the Hulk would take over and he would be alright. The Hulk coming out to play wasn't really a good, thing, but at least it kept his friend safe. Tony had time to kill while he waited for the search to complete. So he refueled. Using donuts.


	2. Chapter 2

When Bruce awoke, he was unable to move. He was bound upright to the side of the vehicle he was in, as well as heavily sedated. He was numb from his toes up, and had probably bitten his tongue sometime between then and now, but he _really shouldn't be worrying about that now_, he effectively calmed himself down. The darkness aided the doctor's mood, but whatever he was in kept bumping around and making all kinds of noise really irritated him. Then, after only a little while, it came to a slow stop. Just as the silence crept around his cell, voices began to banter back and forth.

"I really wish we didn't have to do this on foot" a young man's voice complained. "It's like they want us to waste time. Or drag this thing out so that thing has more time to kill us." a heavy sigh and a muffled response from another followed. Bruce listened to their conversations as best as he could, trying to pick up anything that would lead to their location and reasoning. Though that last part never really changed each time he was taken. The monster inside of him was what they wanted, dead or at their command. So in the end, it didn't really matter why.

"Nate, it's your turn to check on it," I low demanding voice spoke. The was he said "it" made Bruce's body cold. It didn't matter how many times he had heard it. A few seconds later the back door to, what now Bruce knew to be a cargo tuck, probably one that was suppose to be filled with food, opened. The light shocked the doctor's eyes, causing them to wince shut before opening them once more to late afternoon sun.

"Uh, he's awake boss!" Nate shouted behind him, obviously confused about the actions he should be taking next.

"Well what are you waiting for? Give him another dose!" The boss shot back, causing Nate to be flustered. Nate looked to be only about twenty years old, but his body was covered in bruises and scars, and that was just the exposed skin. His eyes were brown, and darkness consumed the skin around those as well, evidence of sleep deprivation. Even though he was one of his captors, Bruce felt sorry for him. He could help him, and would he were allowed. When Nate came back with a needle and kit, Bruce tried to talk to him, but he was already so paralyzed, he wasn't able to move his lips. He couldn't struggle against the needle penetrating his skin even if he wanted to. The drug was fast, and Dr. Banner was out cold again.

"Sir." Jarvis began, "It seems the only place capable of creating those particular components is based in Colorado. However, the factory in question has been supposedly disabled for years. Would you like the coordinates?"

"Yeah, give 'em to me." Tony, in his iron man suit was laying down on a bench under a tree. People walking past would occasionally make comments that made Tony want to laugh. His sudden flight shocked many of the nearby pedestrians, causing them to jump back and watch as the Iron Man flew away. Before he was in the air too long, Jarvis spoke.

"Sir, Ms. Potts is calling."

"Tell her I am busy saving the world."

"She says it's urgent, and to get off your lazy ass"

"Fine, put her on." Tony grumbled loudly, he knew this was going to have something to do with the company, and he really didn't have time for it.

"Tony. My God you are difficult!"

"Pepper, now really isn't the time, Dr. Banner has been kidnapped."

"Oh my God!" Pepper exclaimed in shock, "where is he?"

"If I knew that, he wouldn't be kidnapped any more. Whatever the problem is at Stark Industries, I am sure you can handle it, right?" Pepper sighed at Tony's refusal to even hear the problems of his own company.

"Yes, fine." She said reluctantly, and only because she knew that Bruce had become one of Tony's only friends since the attack on New York City.

"Thanks Pepper," and the call ended.

It took Tony about an hour to get to Colorado. He flew past planes and birds and even a zeppelin, he was faster than a jet, yet he felt as if any amount of speed would be too slow. He wasn't too worried about Bruce, he was the Hulk after all, but he needed to punish those in charge of killing all the innocent people on the ferry and kidnapping his friend. Tony landed in the woods, he was sure it was the middle of no where. Except he could still hear the highway and smell smoke. He was about a mile away from where the factory was, landing here was the best option in case he needed a bit of a sneaky approach. The closer he got to the factory, the thicker the smell. Clearly this was before Tony had heard the words clean and energy in the same sentence. Twenty minutes later and back entrance was visible behind the edge of the forest he hid himself in. "Jarvis, I need a life scan," the visuals entering Tony's helmet were then filled with silhouetted individuals from both around and inside the factory. About eight men or women total. _Doesn't seem like too much of a threat. Go in, ask if they are making lethal weapons? I'm sure they'll just give me an answer. _Tony sarcastically mumbled to himself, trying to figure out the best plan of action. He was no spy.

A soft rustling sound started behind him, it easily could have been the wind, but Tony took no chances. His repulsor rays began powering up and he swung around to face the potential threat.

"Woah! Hey there. I would recommend not killing me, Tony." Clint Barton was only several feet away, perched up in a nearby tree. One hand held his bow, the other held onto a branch in the tree.

"Barton, you son of a bitch. You do realize I was ready to kill you. Why are you here?"

"Pepper told Shield about Banner. And I volunteered to help." He grinned at the billionaire below him.

"Oh Pepper you would" He mumbled under his breath. "That's all very nice of you, but I think I can do this—" He was cut off by the sudden realization that Clint actually was needed right now. "Never mind. Looks like I could use your help after all." Clint grinned.

"So, you want me to tranq these guys?" It wasn't really a question, bow was already drawn and ready to be shot.

"Be my guest," Tony nodded and moved aside. Before he could even get a blink in, Clint had taken down all four guards outside. Two on the roof, two on the ground.

"Let's go," And he jumped onto the roof of the factory with ease. He waited patiently for Tony to fly up, and the two infiltrated the building. The layout was rather simplistic, and the office, with glass sides could be seen as soon as they entered. A man sat at a desk wearing some sort of military uniform.

"You there!" A voice shouted across the hallway. _Shit we've been spotted. _

"Great Tony, your big clanky suit gave us away."

"It is _not "_clanky". It's chic." Clint laughed a little too loud at this.

"Well either way, we've got trouble." three men came down the hall, guns raised and shooting Tony and Clint as soon as they could. They were incredibly easy to take down. Once they were tied nicely together, it was time for interrogation.

"Like we'd tell you anything," of of them responded.

"Yeah, okay. Well just tell us why, and we won't kill you." Barton threatened, again. An arrow was inches away from the man's forehead. He shot the arrow, moving it slightly, so it hit the wall behind them. One of the men jumped in shock.

"It's not like it matters. If you kill us, there are just others that will win.

"Win?" Tony asked.

"Yes. The one million dollar bounty they put on that beast. Killing us isn't going to stop it." The man gave a low chuckle. "Of course it would be nice to have that kind of money, so I'm not letting you kill me." The man kicked his feet up and towards Barton, causing his reflexes to kick in. The man was dead before he even got to his feet. The arrow was jammed straight through his neck, blood dripped steadily down, staining the uniform he was wearing.

"Oops." Clint looked at Tony, who responded with by placing his hand on his face.

"Just leave these two here." Tony said with a sigh. "I'm sure they can't really do anything anyway." Tony stared at the dead body. "Clint..."

"You want me to wear that don't you. Well it has blood on it, sort of suspicious, don't you think?"

"Naw, he won't even notice. And you can wear one of these guys helmets."

"Whatever Stark, just don't watch me change."

When he was disguised, he knocked on the door of the office. "Hello, sir." Clint was surprised no one alerted him. The men outside should wake up in about ten minutes, which gave him some time.

"What is it?" The man asked without looking up from the papers he was reading.

"I wanted to make sure everything was good to go for the mission," Clint really was making this up as he went along. He had been on missions where he had to disguise himself before, but he always knew enough to be convincing. This was just embarrassing.

"Actually, no. Our men keep getting attacked by some of the rival competitors. Hydra wants the Hulk, and we have to make sure_ we_ are the ones to hand it over. That monster is still in our hands, last I heard. Somewhere in Ohio. They are suppose to do the switch soon. Get a team and make sure it all goes according to plan. Now leave. I'm busy."

"Yes, sir!" Clint ran out of the office. Tony was waiting for him on the roof. "Well that was way easier than I expected. But we have to hurry. These guys are going to wake up soon."

"So where are we headed?" Tony asked.

"Ohio." Clint climbed onto the iron man suit and waited for take off. "Oh and one more thing. It's Hydra." Tony's eyes widened and his heart sank hearing that name. They were suppose to be gone. Dead. Captain America defeated them decades ago. Why were they back, and what could they possibly want the Hulk for?


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey guys. There will be a lot more science boyfriend bonding time next chapter. So keep reading. And thank you guys. _

_I don't really feel very motivated to write when no one reads anyway, but I still have fun. Maybe comment or something? It means a lot. Cool. _

* * *

Bruce's body began fighting the toxins they had injected him with. Though the doctor remained asleep, his body had grown conscious. Which, considering the amount of outcomes, may not have been for the best.

The campfire that the bounty hunters were drinking around were put out some time ago, yet from the pit, a thin line of smoke still floated up to mingle with the cold night air. One man at a time stayed awake to guard their prize. Currently, it was Nate, the young man who administered the monster his medication. But his eyes drooped every few minutes, fighting the urge to claim his long waited rest. He sat outside the truck on an old tree stump, using his assault rifle to keep his slacking body upright. A silent yawn. A scratch on the nose. A glance up at the stars. Ears listening to the sounds of the night and a curiosity perk when the sound of a large engine grew louder from the distance.

Men came running from a close range, loud unorganized footsteps stampeded to the camp. Over the noise came an even louder battle cry as a team of bandits of some sort began to shoot off their guns. Layers and layers of pounding noise. And every wave was entering Bruce's ears and hitting the other guy's patience.

Bruce's eyes shot open, iris a saturated green. "No," Bruce managed to grunt out in pain as his body had already begun the process. Bruce expected this, however, with the amount of random drugs they had been keeping him on, all he needed was a trigger. His clothing ripped away from his skin, stretching until each seem revealed green underneath. Bruce yelled in pain as the Hulk took over his mind and body. The shackles on his wrist snapped as if they were nothing but a thin plastic sheet. His transformation was complete, and the Hulk stood in the dark truck for less than a second before he tore his way easily out and into the night.

The campfire had turned into a battlefield, but as soon as the hulk appeared, unbound and angry as ever, the fighting ceased. All faces stared at the Hulk in terror and hatred.

"RAAAARG" Hulk roared into the night before he charged after the remaining lives. Those who were smart started to run away, but Hulk saw the movement as a challenge and grabbed them by their legs and smashing them into the dirt. A man's head cracked open on rock, another simply smashed by the large green fist. Banner screamed in his head at the all too real nightmare, the drugs paralyzing him from clear thought. If he ever had any control over the other guy, which was very unlikely, it was all gone now. He tore through people left and right until nothing but bloody, mangled corpses remained.

Then it was silent. The Hulk looked around at the mess with near melancholy in his green eyes. He gave another monstrous roar for his victory and jumped towards the trees. He began wandering through the dark, occasionally ripping up a tree. He slowly, relatively speaking, made his way up the side of the mountain. The ground shook with each step, but with slightly less power each time.

The Hulk found a cave, or a small hole in the mountain that he punched in further to create one, and crawled in it. He sat in silence for a few seconds before he yawned and shut his eyes. The Hulks muscles began to shrink, green began to fade, and eventually all that was left was human. Bruce curled into a ball, trying to warm his naked body. He couldn't sleep, so he just stayed like that, until warmth fell down his cheeks to hit the rocky ground. He touched his face to wipe away the few tears. He wasn't going to allow himself to cry anymore. When morning came, he would go back to the camp and try to find something to wear. He planned his next actions in his head. They were all he would allow himself to focus on now. Not the thirty dead bodies or the hundreds of questions he had.

With Agent Clint Barton perched on top of the Iron Man suit, Tony flew a bit slower. By the time they landed in Ohio, the sun was trying to push its way on to the sky. Orange on the horizon turned to purple and then to deep blue above. "Jarvis, scan for high levels of gamma radiation. Find Banner," The scan nearly right away. The readings were off the charts. Tony feared Bruce was no longer himself.

It didn't take them long to track the radiation and find the camp site. The Sun was just hitting the horizon so that you could only see light reflecting off pools of blood. "Tony, I'm going to get a better look around," Clint said firmly, running without hesitation into the woods. Lucky this forest was old, and the trees towered high enough for Barton to be satisfied. He climbed the highest with ease. From his comfort level he could now see several trees uprooted, making somewhat of a path. His eyes followed them up and around the mountain. Tony flew next to Clint.

"Do you see anything, Hawk?" Tony asked, earning him an eye roll from Barton.

"Of course," He smiled sarcastically. His hand shot up to point in the direction all the signs pointed to. Tony flew away not a second after. The hole in the mountain was large and mostly rubble. But the arc reactor shined into the darkness and on to the small scientist. Tony ran towards Bruce to help, crouching down beside the man sleeping curled into a ball.

"Hey Big Guy! Have a nice nap?" Tony smiled, as Bruce's eyes tightening and then opened.

"Tony! What are you doing here?" Bruce was shocked. His body immediately jerked into an upright sitting position. Upon remembering he was quite nude, he covered his body as best he could. His faced flushed of color and the tips of his ears turned red.

"We've come to save you." His grin was big and frankly a bit creepy. He handed Bruce clothes that he picked off one of the dead bodies. One of the less mangled ones. Though it didn't make too much of a difference, Bruce had bits of dried blood in his hair and under his fingernails already.

"'We?'" Bruce asked, wondering who else had cared enough to find him. He already found it near impossible to believe Tony had cared enough.

"Yes. Barton's here." Tony replied. Bruce held up the clothes to himself in preparation to get into them. The pants were black and although they fit, they had an uncomfortable tightness. The shirt was an olive-green color, also too tight, though not nearly as bad. Tony watched as he struggled to put on the clothes. "It was all I could find. But doctor, might I say you look absolutely stunning in those tight pants." His eyebrow raised suggestively. Bruce couldn't help but smirk, averting eye contact with his friend. "Alright. We gotta go," Tony's tone changed to serious instantly. Clint was waiting at the entrance of the cave somewhat impatiently.

"Are you guys done flirting yet? We seriously need to get out of here. I've called S.H.E.I.L.D for transport."

"I could have carried both of you." Tony retorted.

"I'm sure you could have, Stark." Clint laughed.


End file.
